Cartridge for an information recording medium

ABSTRACT

A cartridge for an information recording medium includes a cartridge case, an opening cover, detachably mounted to a rear side opening of the cartridge case, for enabling the information recording medium to be withdrawn or inserted with respect to the cartridge case, and a holding unit for preventing movement of the information recording medium by supporting the information recording medium when the information recording medium is received and/or withdrawn into/from the cartridge case. The holding unit includes a pair of elastic pressure parts, elastically formed on the opening cover, for elastically supporting the information recording medium to prevent movement of the information recording medium when the opening cover is not attached to the cartridge case, and a release unit for releasing the pair of elastic pressure parts when the opening cover is attached to the cartridge case so that the information recording medium is rotatable in the cartridge case.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/262,727, filed Nov. 1, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,352 currentlypending, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/127,196, filed May 12, 2005, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,351,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/678,257,filed Oct. 6, 2003, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,931,655, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/949,870, filed Sep.12, 2001 in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which issued as U.S.Pat. No. 6,728,200, which is a divisional of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/313,787, filed May 17, 1999 and which issued as U.S. Pat.No. 6,445,677, which claims the benefit of Korean Application Nos.98-18684, filed May 23, 1998; 98-34561, filed Aug. 26, 1998; and98-37104, filed Sep. 9, 1998 in the Korean Patent Office, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cartridge for accommodating andprotecting an information recording medium such as an optical disc sothat information is recordable/reproducible on/from the optical disc.More particularly, the present invention relates to a cartridge whichhas an information recording medium holding means that enables a user toreplace the information recording medium without directly touching thesame, and prevents the information recording medium from separating fromthe cartridge while the user replaces the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

As it is generally known, a disc cartridge protects a disc such as anoptical disc from dust, fingerprints, scratches, etc., so thatinformation may be recorded/reproduced on/from the disc without anerror. Such a cartridge includes a case which is generally made from asynthetic resin, and an opening cover which selectively opens/closes adisc entry opening of the case.

One example of a conventional disc cartridge is shown in FIG. 1. In FIG.1, a reference numeral 10 refers to a cartridge case, which has an uppershell and a lower shell that are coupled with each other to define aspace therebetween. A disc d is accommodated in the space defined by theupper and lower shells. A spindle opening 10 a and an extended opening10 b are formed in the upper and lower shells. Thus, a turntable and achucking clamper of an optical recording/reproducing device (not shown)are advanced through the spindle opening 10 a, and a recordable side ofthe disc d is exposed to an optical pickup through the extended opening10 b. A shutter 12 is slidably disposed on the cartridge case 10, toselectively open/close the spindle opening 10 a and the extended opening10 b. The shutter 12 is automatically opened/closed in response to theinserting and withdrawing actions of the disc cartridge with respect tothe optical recording/reproducing device.

Further, a plurality of sensing holes 10 c, 10 d, 10 e, and 10 f areformed in the cartridge case 10, corresponding to a plurality of sensingswitches of the optical recording/reproducing device which are to beselectively inserted thereinto. Accordingly, the states of the disc dare detected. The sensing holes 10 c, 10 d, 10 e, and 10 f are dividedinto an A1 hole 10 c for detecting whether or not the disc d has beenwithdrawn from the cartridge case 10, an A2 hole 10 d for detectingwhether the disc d is a single-sided or a double-sided, a spare hole 10e which is available for use for an additional function, and aprotection hole 10 f for preventing information from being recorded onthe disc d. In addition to the sensing holes 10 c, 10 d, 10 e, and 10 f,additional holes such as a position hole are formed in the cartridgecase 10, albeit they are not shown in the drawings.

Further, an opening cover 14 is hinged to a rear side of the cartridgecase 10 to permit the disc d to be inserted or withdrawn with respect tothe cartridge case 10. A plurality of holes 14 a are formed in theopening cover 14 to correspond to the sensing holes 10 c, 10 d, 10 e,and 10 f, respectively. A lock lever 14 b is disposed on the openingcover 14 to be locked into a lock hole 10 g of the cartridge case 10,and a protector arm as well as a protector rib (not shown) areintegrally formed on the cartridge case 10 by injection molding. Theprotector arm is positioned in the protection hole 10 f, and the rib isto be locked with the protector arm.

Initially, the A1 hole 10 c is closed by the protector rib. Then, if thedisc d is withdrawn from the cartridge case 10, the rib is eliminated sothat the A1 hole 10 c is opened. Accordingly, the sensing switch of theoptical recording/reproducing device is inserted into the A1 hole 10 cwhen the disc cartridge is inserted into the opticalrecording/reproducing device, so that it is determined that the disc dhas been exchanged. As a result, the verification process on the disc dis carried out. The A2 hole 10 d is excluded if the disc d accommodatedin the cartridge case 10 is single-sided, or when the disc cartridge isone that does not allow the disc d to be exchanged.

Thus, when the conventional disc cartridge constructed as above isinserted into the optical recording/reproducing device, the shutter 12of the cartridge case 10 is moved in a predetermined direction (upperleft in FIG. 1) by a shutter opening/closing device (not shown), andaccordingly, the spindle opening 10 a and the extended opening 10 b ofthe cartridge case 10 are opened. Simultaneously, the turntable and thechucking clamper of the optical recording/reproducing device areadvanced through the spindle opening 10 a so that the disc d ispositioned and chucked.

Further, a position pin (not shown) of the optical recording/reproducingdevice is inserted into the position hole so that the position of thedisc cartridge with respect to the optical recording/reproducing deviceis determined. Continuously, the sensing switches of the opticalrecording/reproducing device are selectively inserted into the sensingholes 10 c, 10 d, 10 e, and 10 f and their respective correspondingholes 14 a of the opening cover 14, so that the states of the disc d aredetermined. When the sensing switch corresponding with the A1 sensinghole 10 c is not inserted into the A1 sensing hole 10 c, then it isdetermined that the disc d has never been exchanged, so that informationcan be directly recorded on the disc d without the verification process.When the corresponding sensing switch is inserted into the A1 hole 10 c,then it is determined that the disc d has been exchanged, so that theverification process is carried out and then the information is recordedon the disc d. Further, when the corresponding sensing switchcorresponding with the A2 hole 10 d is inserted into the A2 hole 10 d,it is determined that the disc d is double-sided, and if not, it isdetermined that the disc d is single-sided. When the correspondingsensing switch is inserted into the protection hole 10 f, it isdetermined that the function for preventing informationrecording/elimination is selected.

Meanwhile, in the above-described disc cartridge, the disc daccommodated within the cartridge case is exchangeable. When exchangingthe disc d, first, the user opens the opening cover 14 which is hingedat the rear side of the cartridge case 10. Then, the user tilts thecartridge case 10 and pulls out the disc d manually so as to slide thedisc d out of the cartridge case 10. The user has to hold the disc dwith his/her hand, too, when placing the disc d into the cartridge case10.

Accordingly, after opening the opening cover 14 in order to exchange thedisc, the user holds the recordable side of the disc by his/her handwhile he/she takes out or inserts the disc with respect to the cartridgecase. Accordingly, a problem arises in that the recordable side of thedisc may be damaged due to scratches, fingerprints, etc., which are madeby the user while he/she exchanges the disc.

Further, in the event that the cartridge case and the opening cover aredeformed in the manufacturing process, a gap is formed between thecartridge case and the opening cover so that foreign substances such asdust may reach the disc through the gap. Accordingly, an error may occurin recording/reproducing the information on/from the disc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed to overcome the above-describedproblems of the related art, and accordingly, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide a cartridge for attaching/detaching anopening cover with respect to a cartridge case so as to place/withdrawthe disc in/from the cartridge case automatically, so that damage to thedisc which is caused by a manual exchange is prevented.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forpreventing foreign substances from entering an inner portion of thecartridge case by ensuring that there is not any gap between thecartridge case and the opening cover when the opening cover is attachedto the cartridge case (in a closed state over (blocking) the opening ofthe cartridge case which receives the disc).

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inpart in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbe achieved by providing a cartridge for an information recording mediumwhich includes a cartridge case, an opening cover, detachably mounted toa rear side opening of the cartridge case, for enabling the informationrecording medium to be withdrawn or inserted with respect to thecartridge case, and holding means for preventing movement of theinformation recording medium by supporting the information recordingmedium when the information recording medium is received and/orwithdrawn into/from the cartridge case.

Here, the holding means includes a pair of elastic pressure parts,elastically formed on the opening cover, for elastically supporting theinformation recording medium to prevent the movement of the informationrecording medium when the opening cover is not attached to the cartridgecase, and release means for releasing the pair of elastic pressure partswhen the opening cover is attached to the cartridge case so that theinformation recording medium is rotated in the cartridge case.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a space between thepair of elastic pressure parts is widened to a maximum value that isless than the width of the cartridge case. The holding means furtherincludes supporting ribs which have guide grooves for guiding theinformation medium while the information recording medium is fixed withrespect to the opening cover.

The release means includes receiving ribs integrally formed on leadingends of the pair of elastic pressure parts, respectively, andintervening members, formed on opposite inner sidewalls of the cartridgecase, for slidably contacting the receiving ribs so as to push thereceiving ribs when the opening cover is inserted into the cartridgecase so that the pair of elastic pressure parts widen in a lateraldirection of the information recording medium. Here, the receiving ribshave outwardly inclined surfaces that have a predetermined degree ofinclination, and the intervening members have receiving recesses whichhave the inclined surfaces corresponding to the outwardly inclinedsurfaces. The intervening members may be wedge-shaped orcylindrical-shaped.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the cartridgefurther includes means for firmly fastening the opening cover to thecartridge case to prevent a gap between the opening cover and thecartridge case when the opening cover is attached to the cartridge case.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the cartridgefurther includes positioning means for positioning the informationrecording medium accommodated in the cartridge case upward/downward atan exact position.

Further, the cartridge of the present invention further includes agripping part formed at the front portion of the opening cover. Symbolsor characters are printed on the gripping part to indicate a first sideand a second side of the information medium.

Meanwhile, a disc is preferably used as the information recording mediumon/from which information is optically recorded and/or reproduced. Ashutter for selectively opening/closing the spindle opening and theextended opening formed in the cartridge case, is slidably disposed withrespect to the cartridge case.

Accordingly, the information recording medium can be inserted orwithdrawn with respect to the cartridge case via the opening cover whichsupports the information recording medium with the holding means andattached or detached with respect to the cartridge case. As a result,the user does not have to touch the information recording medium,directly, so that disc damage caused by fingerprints, scratches, etc.,is prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects and advantages will be more apparent by describing thepresent invention with reference to the accompanied reference drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional disc cartridge;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a disc cartridge according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing the disc cartridgeof FIG. 2 fully assembled;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 3, showingan opening cover which is coupled with a cartridge case of the disccartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line II-II of FIG. 3, showingthe states of a disc which is accommodated in an inner portion of acartridge case of the disc cartridge shown in FIG. 2 according to theembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now made in detail to the present preferred embodimentsof the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the likeelements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order toexplain the present invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a disc cartridge according toan embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows the disccartridge fully assembled. FIG. 4 shows an opening cover coupled withthe disc cartridge, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a discaccommodated in the inner portion of a cartridge case shown in FIG. 2.

Throughout the description of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, an information recording medium is referred to as a disc. Itwill be noted, however, that the information recording medium is notexclusively limited to the disc in the present invention.

As shown in the figures, the disc cartridge according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention includes a cartridge case 30, ashutter 50, and an opening cover 70. A space is defined within thecartridge case 30 and a disc d is accommodated in the space. The shutter50 is disposed on the cartridge case 30 to selectively open/close aspindle opening 30 a and an extended opening 30 b of the cartridge case30. The opening cover 70 is detachably mounted to a disc entry opening37 at a rear side of the cartridge case 30.

Further, the disc cartridge according to the embodiment presentinvention includes a plurality of sensing holes 30 c, 30 d, 30 e, and 30f, opening/closing means, and disc holding means. The plurality ofsensing holes 30 c, 30 d, 30 e, and 30 f perform the same functions asthe plurality of sensing holes 10 c, 10 d, 10 e, and 10 f, respectively.Accordingly, as a plurality of sensing switches (not shown) provided toan optical recording/reproducing device are selectively inserted intothe sensing holes 30 c, 30 d, 30 e, and 30 f, the states of the disc dare determined. The opening/closing means selectively opens/closes thesensing holes 30 c, 30 d, 30 e, and 30 f, based on the states of thedisc d. The disc holding means is provided to the opening cover 70 tohold the disc d while the disc is exchanged, thereby enabling the disc dto be withdrawn and/or inserted from/to the cartridge case 30 via theopening cover 70.

Here, the shutter 50, the sensing holes 30 c, 30 d, 30 e, and 30 f, andthe sensing hole opening/closing means are not considered to beessential elements in the embodiment of the present invention.Accordingly, the elements are exclusive, but the disc holding means willbe described in greater detail hereinafter.

An arc rib 32 is formed on an inner side of the cartridge case 30 byinjection molding to support the disc d. The plurality of sensing holes30 c, 30 d, 30 e, and 30 f are formed in a diagonal direction on upperand lower shells of the cartridge case 30, so that the states of thedisc d which is accommodated in the cartridge case 30 are sensed by anoptical recording/reproducing device (not shown). It is preferable thatthe plurality of sensing holes 30 c, 30 d, 30 e and 30 f may be formedon the upper or lower shell of cartridge case 30 for the cartridge casefor a single-sided disc. Additionally, locking recesses 30 h are formedat opposite inner sidewalls of the cartridge case 30, more particularly,at a place adjacent to the disc entry opening 37 where the opening cover70 is attached. Here, the arc rib 32 has a diameter greater than thediameter of the disc d, in order to permit the accommodated disc d inthe cartridge case 30 to be smoothly rotated.

The shutter 50 is for opening the spindle opening 30 a and the extendedopening 30 b of the cartridge case 30. When the disc cartridge isinserted into the optical recording/reproducing device, the shutter 50is moved in a predetermined direction by shutter opening/closing means(not shown) so that the spindle opening 30 a and the extended opening 30b are opened. Here, the width W of the shutter 50 is greater than thediameter D of spindle opening 30 a, and the diameter D of the spindleopening 30 a is greater than the diameter of a turntable and a chuckingclamper (not shown) for rotating and chucking the disc d, so that theturntable and the chucking clamper are advanced through the spindleopening 30 a, smoothly.

Like a drawer, the opening cover 70 is attached/detached to/from thecartridge case 30 by being pulled out/pushed in, and a pair of lockingprojections 46 are formed at opposite sides of the opening cover 70 tocorrespond with the locking recesses 30 h of the cartridge case 30.Accordingly, when the opening cover 70 is pushed into the disc entryopening 37 of the cartridge case 30, the locking projections 46 of theopening cover 70 are fixedly locked in the locking recesses 30 h of thecartridge case 30, respectively, so that the opening cover 70 issecurely attached to the cartridge case 30. Also, tension ribs 48 areformed on both sides of the opening cover 70 to release the lockingprojections 46 when the opening cover 70 is to be detached from thecartridge case 30. More specifically, if the user pushes the tensionribs 48 while pulling out the opening cover 70, the locking projections46 are unlocked from the respective locking recesses 30 h so that theopening cover 70 is detached from the cartridge case 30.

Meanwhile, opening/closing means for selectively opening/closing the A1holes 30 c is provided to both sides of the opening cover 70, and moreparticularly, at the places corresponding with the sensing holes 30 c,30 d, 30 e, and 30 f, particularly corresponding to the A1 holes 30 c.The opening/closing means includes movement holes 30 g, rotary arms 52,and tension levers 54. The movement holes 30 g are formed in the openingcover 70, in a manner that the movement holes 30 g include the A1 holes30 c, respectively. In other words, one A1 hole 30 c, as shown in FIGS.2 and 3, is formed at a portion of the movement hole 30 g. Each of theA1 holes 30 c is communicated with each of the movement holes 30 g whichprovides a space for the rotary arms 52 to move therein. The rotary arms52 are movably disposed on the opening cover 70, at a placecorresponding with the movement holes 30 g. The tension levers 54 areextended from the opening cover 70 to movably support the rotary arms 52and to return the rotary arms 52 to their initial positions. Stoppingprojections 56, as shown in FIG. 3, are integrally formed on the rotaryarms 52, and stopping ribs 58 corresponding to the stopping projections56 as shown in FIG. 3, are formed on the opening cover 70, adjacent to aplace corresponding with the A1 holes 30 c. Accordingly, when the rotaryarms 52 are moved to the A1 holes 30 c, the stopping projections 56 arestopped by the stopping ribs 58, so that the rotary arms 52 aremaintained in a place to where the rotary arms 52 are moved. When therotary arms 52 are pushed, the stopping projections 56 are released fromthe stopping ribs 58 so that the rotary arms 52 are returned to theirinitial positions by the tension of the tension ribs 54.

Further, disc holding means, which is the main feature of the presentinvention, is provided on the opening cover 70 and the cartridge case30. The disc holding means includes a pair of elastic pressing parts 44,supporting ribs 38 and 40, and release means. The elastic pressure parts44 are extended from both sides of the opening cover 70 to define aspace (disc accommodating space) therebetween, and have an elasticitytoward a middle portion of the opening cover 70 to elastically supportthe disc d in a lateral direction. The supporting ribs 38 and 40 areformed along a disc supporting part of the opening cover 70, and haveguide grooves for receiving the edge of the disc d. The release meanswidens the space between the elastic pressure parts 44 elasticallysupporting the disc d so that the disc d can be rotated smoothly whenthe opening cover 70 is attached to the cartridge case 30.

The release means includes receiving ribs 42 formed on the opening cover70, and intervening members 34 formed on the cartridge case 30. Thereceiving ribs 42 have outwardly inclined surfaces 42 a, respectively,which are formed on leading ends of the elastic pressure parts 44. Theintervening members 34 are wedge-shaped, and are formed on oppositeinner sidewalls of the cartridge case 30 at positions corresponding tothe receiving ribs 42. The intervening members 34 have receivingrecesses 34 a which have inclined surfaces 34 b that correspond with theoutwardly inclined surfaces 42 a of the receiving ribs 42. Thus, whenthe opening cover 70 is attached to the cartridge case 30, the outwardlyinclined surfaces 42 a of the receiving ribs 42 and the inclinedsurfaces 34 b of the intervening members 34 come in contact with eachother, so that the receiving ribs 42 are inserted into the receivingrecesses 34 a of the intervening members 34, respectively. Accordingly,the elastic pressure parts 44 are forced outward from each other in alateral direction. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the supporting ribs arerespectively formed as first supporting ribs 38 formed at both elasticpressure parts 44 to support the disc d on the intermediate portionthereof in a lateral direction, and as a second supporting rib 40 formedat the opening cover 70 to support the disc d from the rear part of thecartridge case 30. Alternatively, the first supporting ribs 38 may berespectively extended to the second supporting rib. Therefore, thesupporting ribs 38 and 40 may be integrally formed along the discsupporting part of the opening cover 70, although such is not shown inthe figures.

Further, the intervening members 34 may be wedge-shaped having thereceiving recesses 34 a as shown in the figures, or, alternatively, theintervening members 34 may be in cylindrical-shaped, although such isnot shown in the figures. The cylindrical intervening members push thereceiving ribs 42 while the intervening members are slid along theoutwardly inclined surfaces 42 a of the receiving ribs 42.

By employing the opening cover 70 having the disc holding means asabove, the disc d can inserted or withdrawn into/from the cartridge case30 without directly touching the disc d. More specifically, whenreplacing (or exchanging) the disc d, the opening cover 70 is detachedfrom the cartridge case 30 so that the disc d is withdrawn from thecartridge case 30 together with the opening cover 70 while the discholding means supports the disc d. It is because when the opening cover70 is attached to the cartridge case 30, the receiving ribs 42 on theleading ends of the elastic pressure parts 44 widen in the lateraldirection by insertion of the receiving ribs 42 into the receivingrecesses 34 a of the intervening members 34 of the cartridge case 30.When the opening cover 70 is pulled so as to be detached from thecartridge case 30, the elastic pressure parts 44 are returned to theirinitial positions by withdrawing of the receiving ribs 42 from thereceiving recesses 34 a of the intervening members 34 so that theelastic pressure parts 44 elastically support the disc d. Afterreplacing the disc d with a new one so as to be supported by the discholding means of the opening cover 70, the opening cover 70 includingthe disc d is attached to the cartridge case 30, so that the receivingribs 42 of the elastic pressure parts 44 are inserted into the receivingrecesses 34 a of the intervening members 34 of the cartridge case 30.Accordingly, the elastic pressure parts 44 are forced outward from eachother and the disc d can be rotated in the cartridge case smoothly.Here, it is preferable that the maximum width between the elasticpressure parts 44 is less than the width of the cartridge case 30, whenthe elastic pressure parts 44 are forced outward from each other by therelease means.

Due to the structure and operation of the disc holding means, the disc dwhich is accommodated in the cartridge case 30 can be withdrawn via theopening cover 70 without being damaged.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 3 showingthe opening cover 70 which is coupled to the cartridge case 30. As shownin FIG. 4, the disc cartridge according to the embodiment of the presentinvention further includes means for firmly fastening the opening cover70 to the cartridge case 30, thereby preventing a gap between theopening cover 70 and the cartridge case 30. The fastening means includescoupling ribs 81 and rib recesses 82. The coupling ribs 81 are formed onupper and lower shells 36 a, 36 b of the cartridge case 30,respectively, and more specifically at places corresponding to part ofthe opening cover 70 that attaches to the cartridge case 30. The ribrecesses 82 are formed in the opening cover 70 to receive the couplingribs 81. Due to the incorporation of the coupling ribs 81 within the ribrecesses 82, there is no gap defined between the opening cover 70 andthe cartridge case 30 when the opening cover 70 is attached to thecartridge case 30. Accordingly, foreign substances such as dust, etc.,do not enter the cartridge case 30.

Further, the disc cartridge according to the embodiment of the presentinvention further includes positioning means for positioning the disc dreceived in the cartridge case 30 upward/downward at an exact position.As shown in FIG. 5, the positioning means includes stepped parts 91 and92 which are formed on upper and lower inner surfaces of the cartridgecase 30 at predetermined heights, respectively. Further, the positioningmeans may include circular bands having a predetermined height that areattached to the upper and lower inner surfaces of the cartridge case 30.Here, the heights of the stepped parts 91 and 92, or the height of thecircular bands is equal to, or greater than the thickness of thesupporting ribs 38.

Due to the positioning means of the cartridge case 30 having the steppedparts 91 and 92, or the circular bands, the disc d accommodated in thecartridge case 30, is adjusted upward/downward and positioned at theexact position. Accordingly, when the user attempts to take out the discd accommodated in another cartridge case by using the opening cover 70which includes the holding means according to the embodiment of thepresent invention, the user may simply attach the opening cover 70 tothe cartridge case 30 of the other disc cartridge. Then, the disc d iswithdrawn from the other disc cartridge, while being supported by theholding means of the opening cover 70 of this cartridge case 30.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the disc cartridge according to theembodiment of the present invention further includes a gripping part 93which is formed on the front surface of the opening cover 70.Accordingly, the user grips the gripping part 93 by his/her hand andattaches/detaches the opening cover 70 to/from the cartridge case 30using the gripping part 93. Symbols or characters may be printed on thegripping part 93 to indicate a first side and a second side of the discd. Accordingly, the user may easily distinguish each side of the disc d.

Hereinafter, the operation of the disc cartridge which is constructed asdescribed above will be described in greater detail.

First, descriptions of the processes which follow the insertion of thedisc cartridge into the optical recording/reproducing device, i.e., theprocess of shutter 50 opening, disc d positioning and chucking, discstates detecting, etc., will be omitted, since they have been describedearlier in the description of the related art. Hereinafter, theoperation of the disc holding means will be described.

In order to replace the disc d with the bare disc d whose states areverified in the cartridge case 30, the user eliminates a protector ribto protect the information recorded on the disc d, and presses thetension ribs 48 on the opening cover 70 inward and pulls the openingcover 70 out, manually. Accordingly, the locking projections 46 lockedinto the locking recesses 30 h are released, and the opening cover 70 isdetached from the cartridge case 30.

In such a situation, the elastic pressure parts 44 are returned to theirinitial positions, so that the disc d is elastically supported by theelastic pressure parts 44 and withdrawn together with the opening cover70. More specifically, when the user slightly pulls out the openingcover 70 while pressing on the tension ribs 48 of the opening cover 70,the receiving ribs 42 are separated from the receiving recesses 34 a ofthe intervening members 34, and accordingly, the elastic pressure parts44, which have been forced outward from each other in the lateraldirection, approach each other to hold the disc d securely.

In such a situation, the user separates the disc d from the openingcover 70, and places the bare disc d whose states are verified to besupported by the disc holding means of the opening cover 70. Then, theuser pushes the opening cover 70 into the disc entry opening 37 of thecartridge case 30 until the locking projections 46 of the opening cover70 are locked into the locking recesses 30 h of the cartridge case 30.Accordingly, the outwardly inclined surfaces 42 a of the receiving ribs42 of the elastic pressure parts 44 come in contact with the inclinedsurfaces 34 b of the intervening members 34, and then received into thereceiving recesses 34 a of the intervening members 34. As a result, theelastic pressure parts 44 widen outward from each other in the lateraldirection, so that the disc d can be rotated in the cartridge case 30,smoothly.

Meanwhile, the opening cover 70 of the disc cartridge of the presentinvention is useful in an adaptor for using a disc of a diameter of 8 cmin an optical recording/reproducing device for a disc of a diameter of12 cm.

As described above, according to the disc cartridge of the presentinvention, the user can accommodate or withdraw a disc into or from thedisc cartridge via an opening cover, by attaching or detaching theopening cover, which is capable of holding the disc, with respect to thecartridge case. Accordingly, the user does not need to touch the discdirectly while replacing the disc. As a result, the disc is protectedfrom damage which is caused due to the fingerprints, scratches, etc.

Further, according to the disc cartridge of the present invention, thereis no gap between the cartridge case and the opening cover, so thaterrors in recording and reproducing information onto/from the disc donot occur due to the prevention of the entrance of foreign substances.

Still further, according to the disc cartridge of the present invention,the user has greater convenience in handling the disc without directlytouching the disc d by using the opening cover.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form anddetails may be effected therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

1. An optical reproducing device, comprising: a turntable on which an information recording medium rotates; and an optical pickup which reproduces data from the information recording medium, wherein the information recording medium is in a cartridge, the cartridge comprising a cartridge case having an opening to receive the information recording medium, an opening cover, detachably mounted to the cartridge case at the opening, to enable the information recording medium to be withdrawn or inserted with respect to the cartridge case, a pair of elastic pressure parts, elastically formed on the opening cover, to elastically support the information recording medium to hold the information recording medium relative to the opening cover when the opening cover is not attached to the cartridge case, and a release member to release the pair of elastic pressure parts when the opening cover is attached to the cartridge case so that the information medium is rotatable in the cartridge case by the turntable as the optical pickup reproduces the data.
 2. The optical reproducing device of claim 1, wherein the elastic pressure parts comprise resilient holding elements to hold the information recording medium on the opening cover by holding a peripheral edge of the information recording medium to support the information recording medium such that a surface of the information recording medium is substantially coplanar with a plane defined between the holding elements when the information recording medium is received and/or withdrawn into/from the cartridge case, and, after being released by the release member, the information recording medium is allowed to rotate in the cartridge case using the turntable while the optical pickup reproduces the data from the information recording medium.
 3. The optical reproducing device of claim 1, wherein: the pair of elastic pressure parts holds the information recording medium on said opening cover by supporting the information recording medium substantially in-plane with said pair of elastic pressure parts by allowing the information recording medium to be rotated by the turntable relative to said opening cover when said opening cover is inserted into said cartridge case to allow reproduction by the optical pickup, and preventing movement of the recording medium relative to said opening cover when said opening cover is withdrawn from said cartridge case.
 4. The optical reproducing device of claim 1, wherein the opening cover has supporting ribs to support the information recording medium on an inner surface thereof, the pair of elastic pressure parts include receiving ribs integrally formed on leading ends of the pair of elastic pressure parts, respectively, the release member comprises intervening members formed on opposite inner sidewalls of the cartridge case to slidably contact the receiving ribs, respectively, so as to push the receiving ribs when the opening cover is inserted into the cartridge case so that the pair of elastic pressure parts widen in a lateral direction of the information recording medium relative to each other, and the cartridge further comprises means for firmly fastening the opening cover to the cartridge case to prevent a gap between the opening cover and the cartridge case when the opening cover is attached to the cartridge case.
 5. The optical reproducing device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge case has exterior edges which define an opening into which the information recording medium is received, and ribs extending from ones of the exterior edges of the cartridge case, and the opening cover has prongs to hold the information recording medium and rib recesses to receive the corresponding ribs such that, when the information recording medium is within the cartridge case, the information recording medium is rotatably held by the prongs to be rotated by the turntable as data is reproduced by the optical pickup, and the ribs and rib recesses interweave when the cover is mounted to the cartridge case so as to cover the opening.
 6. The optical reproducing device of claim 1, wherein the opening cover comprises extension parts which hold and guide the information recording medium, and the opening cover linearly slides so that the extension parts linearly enter the space through the opening and move to release the information recording medium, so that the opening cover covers the opening when mounted to the cartridge case and the information recording medium is received in the space and is rotatable therein by the turntable during reproduction of the information recording medium by the optical pickup.
 7. The optical reproducing device of claim 1, wherein the opening cover has supporting ribs to support the information recording medium on an inner surface thereof, the pair of elastic pressure parts include receiving ribs integrally formed on leading ends of the pair of elastic pressure parts, respectively, the release member includes intervening members, formed on opposite inner sidewalls of the cartridge case, to slidably contact the receiving ribs, respectively, so as to push the receiving ribs when the opening cover is inserted into the cartridge case so that the pair of elastic pressure parts widen in a lateral direction of the information recording medium relative to each other, and the cartridge further comprises means for firmly fastening the opening cover to the cartridge case to prevent a gap between the opening cover and the cartridge case when the opening cover is attached to the cartridge case, and positioning means for positioning the information recording medium, which is accommodated in the cartridge case, upward/downward at an exact position.
 8. The optical reproducing device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge case further includes an opening through which the information storage medium is accessed by the optical pickup while accommodated in the cartridge case, and the cartridge further comprises positioning means for positioning the information recording medium, which is accommodated in the cartridge case, upward/downward at an exact position. 